Community D

Teaching German

Pilgrim Journeys in Europe

Episode 4: Greece - Marathon to Athens

For long-distance runners, it's the lodestar: the road from Marathon to Athens. It's an iconic route and right now it leads to the heart of the Eurozone crisis.

Now more than ever, Greece needs staying power. That can be sensed along the historical route from Marathon to the Greek capital. Legend has it that in 490 BCE, a messenger ran the distance to inform the Athenians of Greek victory over the Persians at the battle of Marathon. Nowadays, along the Marathon-Athens highway, there's a great deal of resignation among the population in the face of austerity measures and a weakening economy. The way out of debt promises to be not a sprint, but a real marathon.